Reflecting on the inclusion of NIFWA Player and Younger Player of the Year Whyte, Northern Ireland boss O'Neill said: "Gavin really impressed me with his performances for the U21s against Spain Iceland.

"Reading between the lines, he's on the verge of hopefully moving to England. Hopefully his inclusion in this squad helps that.

Crusaders star Gavin Whyte (Image: Inpho)

"Should he gets the opportunity of full-time football then I believe he's equipped to hit the ground running.

"And it he gets that chance then he automatically comes onto my radar for further down the line."

Both Panama and Costa Rica are preparing for this summer's World Cup finals in Russia.

O'Neill believes the two games will provide a stern test for his squad.

“These games will be a new experience for our players. We want to be playing in big games and for the opposition these games are big ahead of the World Cup," he said.

"Both Panama and Costa Rica will be wanting to give their fans a big send-off before they go to the World Cup.

"We want to put in a performance that says 'we should be at the World Cup'."